DEEP SPACE NINE: "The Visitor" - REV. 08/22/95 TEASER        5.

2    CONTINUED:	(5)

					MELANIE (Cont'd)  
			I'd finally found someone whose  
			writing I really admired, and he'd  
			only published two books.

	Jake smiles wryly.

					OLD JAKE  
			Not much to show for a life's  
			work, is it? I'm going to get us  
			some tea.

					MELANIE  
			I savored those stories, read them  
			slowly, one each day. And when I  
			was finished, I wished I hadn't  
			read them at all.

	Jake looks at her quizzically. Melanie realizes how  
	that must have sounded and quickly explains herself.

					MELANIE  
			So that I could read them again...  
			like it was the first time.

	Jake smiles, nods that he understands. As he sits down 
	with the tray...

					OLD JAKE  
			There's only one "first time" for  
			everything, isn't there? 
				(considers)  
			And only one last time, too. You  
			think about that when you get to  
			be my age. That today might be  
			the last time you... sit in a  
			favorite chair... watch the rain  
			fall... enjoy a cup of tea.

	Melanie looks at him, then cautiously asks the question 
	that brought her here.

					MELANIE 
				(softly)  
			Can I ask you something... ?

	He nods that she go ahead...

					MELANIE  
			Why did you stop writing?

	He looks at her for a moment.